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A shopper browses Christmas gifts and decorations in Rome, where shops are still open under current rules. Photo: AFP
Italy’s Prime Minister has reassured children that gifts will be delivered as usual in 2020 as Babbo Natale, or Father Christmas, won’t face any coronavirus travel restrictions.
The rest of us however are likely to have to stay where we are.
It’s not certain exactly what rules will be in place by the end of December, as Italy’s current set of measures enforced under the latest emergency decree is only valid until December 3rd.
Four emergency decrees have been issued within the past month, as the rules are continually updated.
So far, Christmas markets have been banned, and ministers say the big family Christmas dinner (cenone, literally meaning “big dinner”) will be a no-go this year.
Christmas lights at Piazza Venezia in Rome, 2019. Photo: Tiziana Fabi/AFP
It would be best for people to spend Christmas only in the company of their “closest family members”, Regional Affairs Minister Francesco Boccia told La7 television on Thursday.
And while PM Giuseppe Conte was quick to reassure children that they’d still get Christmas presents, he also reminded the public that Christmas is “not only associated with shopping, presents and boosting the economy.”
He warned on Friday against people gathering to shop and celebrate, saying Christmas should be a “spiritual” time.
“We will consider the epidemiological curve that we'll have in December,” said the premier. “Christmas, whatever your religious faith, is certainly also a moment of private spiritual worship.”
He said it’s no good to “do private spiritual reflection with a lot of other people”.
Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Photo: Tiziana Fabi/AFP
Shopping for gifts and non-essential items is currently only allowed in regions designated “yellow” and “orange” risk zones, under a new three-tier system of coronavirus restrictions.
In red zones, where most shops and businesses are closed, only online shopping is possible.
The government reportedly aims to reopen shops across the country closer to the Christmas holidays. However, this will depend on whether it is able to get the coronavirus situation under control by then.
Non-essential travel between regions and towns is tightly restricted for people in red and orange zones, meaning travelling to visit friends and family this year looks unlikely to be allowed.
Conte stressed on Wednesday that he wants to avoid putting the country under a second nationwide lockdown.
Several types of restrictions have been imposed nationwide and at a local level, depending on the health situation in different regions.
But a growing number of medical workers and politicians are calling for stricter measures, and even a second nationwide lockdown.
Before bringing in further measures, Conte said the government is waiting to see whether or not current restrictions are having an impact on the contagion curve.
Italy, the first European country hit by coronavirus earlier this year, has recorded a surge in cases in recent weeks and has topped one million infections in total.


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Senior Hispanic market executives from Target, Univision, McDonald’s, T-Mobile, Burger King and Estefan Enterprises are among the final members named to the national advisory board of Hispanicize 2013.
The national advisory board is now complete with 50 executives from leading Hispanic brands, ad agencies, PR firms, the Latin music industry, journalists, film festival directors and even a world-renowned inventor.
Hispanicize 2013 (www.HispanicizeEvent.com), the fourth annual Latino trends event is scheduled for April 9-13, 2013. The will be held at the Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Beach. (See Hispanicize 2013 Preview Video here: http://bit.ly/hispz13Rising).
A partnership of the Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA), Hispanicize, the Hispanic PR Blog and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Hispanicize 2013 is a trailblazing multi-industry event that has become a major national launch pad for ideas, celebrities, ventures, products, services, films, music groups and more targeting Latinos. (Watch the Hispanicize 2012 Recap Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzWRv9iiZG4).
The advisory board’s role is to select the content and speakers that best represent trends in the multiple industries that will converge at Hispanicize 2013. To submit a session idea or nominate yourself as a speaker before the December 15 session submission deadline visit http://www.hispanicizeevent.com/session-submission.html.
Joining the advisory board are:
- Jenina Nuñez, Manager – External Communications, McDonald’s
- Andrea Munzer McCauley, Public Relations, Target
- David Alvarado, VP of Marketing, Capitol Latin at EMI Music
- Miguel Piedra, Vice President – Global Communications & Culture, Burger King Corporation
- David Naranjo, Vice President, Public Relations/Marketing, Estefan Enterprises
- Laura Hodges, Field Marketing Manager – Hispanic Programs, T-Mobile
- Roberto Ruiz, SVP – Client Development Group, Univision Communications
- Rosanna Fiske, EVP and Chief Strategy Officer, República
The Hispanicize 2013 board is also comprised of:
- Mari Santana, Public Relations Manager, Disney
- Christina Gonzalez, Director of Multicultural Marketing – Verizon Wireless
- Melina Baetti, Manager of Brand & Business Communications, The Coca-Cola Company
- Sabrina Macias, Director of Integrated Marketing Communications/ Brand & Consumer Marketing, NASCAR
- Jocelyn Allen, Grassroots & Diversity Communications, General Motors
- Xavier Turpin, Director of Multicultural Marketing – Dunkin’ Brands Inc.
- Oswald Mendez, Chief Marketing Officer, MundoFox
- Alfredo Ayala, Senior Technical Staff, Research & Development – Walt Disney Imagineering
- Olga Romero, Manager of Hispanic and Multicultural – Southwest Airlines
- Alvaro Cabal, Multicultural Communications Manager – Ford Motor Company
- Maribel Ferrer, Media Relations Vice President for U.S. Hispanic and Florida – JPMorgan Chase
- Borja Perez, Senior Vice President, Digital & Social Media, Telemundo Media
- Lissette Hoyo, Managing Partner/President – Accentmarketing
- Gustavo Razzetti, EVP, Managing Director – Lápiz (Leo Burnett)
- Juan Oubiña, Group Creative Director – Grupo Gallegos
- Mara Fernandez, Associate Publisher, Produ
- Calixto Chinchilla, Founder/Executive Director, New York International Latino Film Festival
- Jaie Laplante, Director, Miami International Film Festival
- Roman Morales, Film Showcase Director – Hispanicize 2013
- Linda Lopez, Latin Programming/Marketing – Live Nation
- Fernando Rojo, Senior Creative Director/New Business Development – Universal Music Publishing
- Monica Taher, Head of Entertainment/Partner – Getty Images Hispanic / Latin America
- Bel Hernandez, CEO – Latin Heat Media
- Vanessa James, President – Vanessa James Media
- Mike Valdes-Fauli, President – JeffreyGroup (advisory board co-chairman of Hispanicize 2013)
- Jorge Ortega, President/CEO – Newlink America
- Ruben Navarrette, National Syndicated Columnist – CNN.com and USA Today
- Delia Lopez, President, Hispanic Public Relations Association – LA
- David Henry, President, Hispanic Public Relations Association – New York and Telenoticias
- Hugo Perez, Director of Hispanic Marketing, The Zocalo Group
- Angélica Pérez-Litwin, Publisher/CEO, New Latina, Inc.
- Aurelia Flores, Founder/CEO, PowerfulLatinas.com
- George “The Urban Jibaro” Torres, Founder, Sofrito for Your Soul
- Jennifer Diaz, Associate Vice President/Media Relations, Greater Miami Convention & Visitor’s Bureau
- Rikki Rincon, President, Creative Juice Online
- Roberto Somoza, President, World Clique
Sponsorship and Registration Information
Sponsorship information is available by contacting email@example.com or calling 203.364.4779. Hispanic Heritage Month Early bird registration rates are available through October 31 at www.HispanicizeEvent.com. To reserve your hotel room go to https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_gi_new&groupID=14723119

domain: news


text: Intel said it will bring on current VMware leader Pat Gelsinger as its new chief executive officer, effective Feb. 15, 2021.\u00a0 The 40-year technology industry vet replaces Intel\u2019s Bob Swan, who will remain CEO until that date.\nFor VMware, the company said it was initiating a global executive search process to name a permanent chief and that Zane Rowe, current VMware CFO will become interim CEO.\n\n\u201cPat led the company in expanding our core virtualization footprint and broadening our capabilities to cloud, networking, 5G\/edge and security, while almost tripling revenue to nearly $12 billion,\u201d Rowe said in a statement. \u201cVMware remains focused on helping customers optimize their digital infrastructure\u2014from app modernization and multi-cloud to networking, security and digital workspaces. We look forward to continued growth and innovation across our technology offerings.\u201d\nGelsinger, who spent some 30 years at Intel and was its CTO, was by most accounts being set up to be Intel\u2019s CEO before leaving for EMC in 2009 and then taking the reins at VMware in 2012.\nWhile at Intel, he helped create key technologies, including USB and Wi-Fi, led Intel to be the dominant supplier of the microprocessor\u2014while in the significant role as the architect of the original 80486 processor, according to his VMware bio.\nAt VMware he led a variety of company transformations, the latest being its push to support all things Kubernetes with its Tanzu effort.\n\u201cHaving begun my career at Intel and learned at the feet of [semiconductor pioneers Andrew] Grove, [Robert] Noyce and [Gordon] Moore, it\u2019s my privilege and honor to return in this leadership capacity,\u201d Gelsinger said in a statement from Intel. \u00a0\u201cI have tremendous regard for the company\u2019s rich history and powerful technologies that have created the world\u2019s digital infrastructure. I believe Intel has significant potential to continue to reshape the future of technology and look forward to working with the incredibly talented global Intel team to accelerate innovation and create value for our customers and shareholders.\u201d\nGelsinger by most accounts, will be taking on a significant challenge in recharging Intel.\u00a0 For example, CNN Business reported that under Swan, Intel has struggled. \u201cIt lost market share to rival AMD, and its stock hasn\u2019t grown as fast as its competitors. Intel was also dealt a blow when Apple announced it will use its own processors, rather than Intel\u2019s, in its new series of Macs,\u201d CNN stated.\nThe Wall Street Journal wrote that in December, Daniel Loeb, the CEO of activist hedge fund Third Point LLC\u2019s, wrote a letter to Intel Chairman Omar Ishrak saying, \u201cthe company\u2019s woes could threaten the U.S. tech industry.\u201d He urged the chip maker to consider alternatives, including selling some of its acquisitions and splitting its design and manufacturing operations\u2014a move that would end Intel\u2019s long-held status as America\u2019s leading integrated semiconductor maker.


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Kaustav Chakrabarti 18 December 2014 India's counterinsurgency rhetoric is steeped in the grievance school of thought... ...http://www.observerindia.com/cms/sites/orfonline/modules/analysis/AnalysisDetail.html?cmaid=76309&mmacmaid=76310
By Maansi Sharma, Dec 18, 2014 The tourism and hospitality industry has entered a new phase in recent years one where priority is given to... ...http://www.traveltrendstoday.in/news/2014/12/18/csr-merging-business-with-humanity
Transparency Market Research has released a new market research report titled Microgrid Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth,... ...http://pressreleaseping.com/microgrid-capacity-and-market-revenue-estimated-reach-93476-mw-and-usd-351860-million-2020
Comments December 17, 2014 - Des Plaines, IL DES PLAINES, IL--(Marketwired - December 17, 2014) - The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) applauds... ...http://andhranews.net/Business/2014/Emergency-Nurses-Association-Applauds-Passage-Appropriations-53075.htm
KOLLAM(KERALA): Amrita University is hosting the IEEE (T4E) to discuss how even a child in the rural area could gain knowledge using technology.... ...http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/International-Conference-on-Technology-for-Education/2014/12/18/article2577145.ece
1. This innovation center is for...
Centre for Economics, Environment and...


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Political, social and technological disruptions are set to shake up the business world more than ever over the next 12 months, putting increased pressure on the decision-making capabilities of the CEO.
Betway Casino have looked at 8 of the worst business decisions ever made. These negotiations had some of the most expensive consequences, undoubtedly leading to some very difficult boardroom conversations later.
The Worst Business…
Subscribe to CEO Today Magazine Today to receive all of the latest news from the Global Business Marketplace .


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US NFC venture Isis is exploring the potential of expanding overseas, Bloomberg reports. Isis “has held discussions to explore international opportunities,” Jaymee Johnson, Isis’ head of marketing, told the news service. “The underlying equity partners in Isis give us some degree of visibility and awareness beyond the US,” Johnson explained.
- US Bank to donate $50,000 to charity through Apple Pay
- Beacons to drive $7.5bn in holiday season spending
- Seqr to add P2P transfers to mobile wallet
- Orange France reveals mobile retailing lessons
- Mahindra Comviva explains hybrid HCE


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An important recall of the best selling vehicle in the U.S.
Ford is is recalling […]
Fiat-Chrystler is voluntarily recalling over 150 thousand vehicles in the U.S.
The recall affects certain […]
An estimated 1.1 million pickups trucks are being recalled across the U.S.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles […]
Officials have announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will take several actions to […]
The snack that smiles back smiles back won't be smiling right now.
Several Goldfish Cracker […]
Ford is recalling half-a-million vehicles because the company says they're at risk of rolling […]


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BOULDER JUNCTION, Wis. (WSAW) – The Boulder Junction Public Library will host a presentation next month to educate the public about scams.
The program, “Common Scams and Frauds” will be held Wednesday, June 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Boulder Junction Community Center. It’s located at 5392 Park Street.
Jeff Kersten is the agency liaison with the Bureau of Consumer Protection within the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Kersten will present “Common Scams and Frauds” discussing the details of common scams, the warning signs of a scam, and what to do if you or someone you know falls victim to a scam or fraud.
Kersten travels around the state to educate the public, businesses and law enforcement on privacy protection, data security, identity theft, and other areas of consumer protection. Jeff has over 12 years of experience as a police officer and is a prior Consumer Protection Investigator for the Bureau of Consumer Protection.
For more information or questions, please call the library at 715-385-2050.
Copyright 2022 WSAW. All rights reserved.


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The battle rages on for the best fast charge and Realme doesn’t want to fall behind. The manufacturer plans to market a smartphone equipped with fast charging at 125 W as of next year.
On the sidelines of the formalization of Realme 8i, the young Chinese brand has once again confirmed its great ambitions. Officially appearing in 2019 on the European market, Realme is progressing quickly and has never hidden its desire to hunt in the lands of Xiaomi or Honor, targeting a young audience. The firm is also taking advantage of its presence within the Chinese group BBK Electronics to gain a foothold in the market, focusing in particular on the quality / price ratio. Without cutting corners, Realme wants to go fast, as evidenced by the existence of its GT range including the Realme GT or the Realme GT Master Edition, and this requires in particular the fast charge.
The brand positioned itself during the summer of 2020 by presenting, like Oppo, its 125 W “UltraDART” charging solution. This technology promises a charge of up to 125 W, in order to offer 33% autonomy in just 3 minutes. on a 4000 mAh battery. A tempting promise that Realme has never confirmed, no smartphone of the brand being compatible with a charge at 125 W. The manufacturer nevertheless seems ready to take this step and its vice-president and CEO, Madhav Sheth, told the GSM Arena site its intention to market a charger with a power of 125 W.
Realme currently offers a 65W SuperDart charge © Realme
In 2022, Chinese manufacturers want to take a new step
A turning point for the brand which would in the process beat Xiaomi’s record of 120 W, currently offered by the Xiaomi 11T Pro. The manager adds that an “ultra-premium” smartphone from the GT series will also see the light of day in a few months. If no information has been disclosed on this model, it is likely that it embeds this UltraDART technology. Already lively, the battle between Chinese manufacturers to offer ever faster charging could take a new turn. Xiaomi has already announced its intention to offer the HyperCharge 200 W on certain models as of next year.
For its part, Realme ensures that its technology is compatible with other charging protocols such as 125 W PPS, 65 W Power Delivery (PD) or even 36 W Quick Charge (QC). Last year, the brand counted on a full charge in 20 minutes, without neglecting safety. Fast charging tends to heat up a smartphone and we can fear long-term effects on the battery. These elements can now explain why leaders like Apple or Samsung have not opted for ultra-fast charging solutions on their smartphones.


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PHILADELPHIA – Bally Total Fitness Holding Corp. (BFT) on Wednesday said it put its Crunch Fitness (search) chain, high-end health clubs in cities such as New York and Los Angeles, up for sale as it tries to restructure and strengthen its finances.
Bally, which faces a criminal probe into accounting issues, said it would evaluate interest from potential buyers of Crunch before making a final decision on the best way to improve shareholder value. Bally has hired The Blackstone Group L.P. to assist in its turnaround strategy.
A sale of the Crunch chain would continue a wave of deals in the fitness market, following a recent agreement by private equity firm Forstmann Little & Co. (search) to buy 24-Hour Fitness Worldwide Inc. (search) for $1.6 billion.
Bally said Crunch has a total of 85,000 members in 21 gyms. 24-Hour Fitness, by comparison, has about 3 million members in 330 clubs in the United States, as well as 15 clubs in Asia.
Other fitness centers have been targeted for acquisition by private equity firms in the past year. The Sports Club Company Inc. (SCY) in February agreed to be bought out by Millennium Partners and other shareholders to become a private company.
The turnaround efforts at Bally come as its accounting practices face a criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Chicago-based Bally recently ousted its controller and treasurer on grounds of improper conduct following an independent accounting review by its audit committee.
The company has said that investigation also found its former chief executive and former chief financial officer were responsible for multiple accounting errors and "creating a culture of aggressive accounting."
Last month, Bally said it expected to report a loss for the fourth quarter and full-year 2004. Still, it said efforts to cut costs and boost membership were paying off.
It said the number of new members increased 20 percent in the fourth quarter and was up 22 percent for the full year.


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Archive for the ‘handset strategy’ Tag
- November 17, 2010 Green handsets, first step towards “green telecom” posted in Carbon strategy, handsets, Market research tagged green telecom, handset strategy, handsets, smartphones
- February 11, 2010 Top debates around the Smartphones market in telecom posted in handsets tagged handset strategy, smartphones, telecom
- July 27, 2009 The iPhone goes mainstream – Impact for operators posted in handsets, telecom tagged handset, handset strategy, iPhone
- July 16, 2009 Maximizing the value of the handset base – Case study posted in cost reduction, ebitda improvement, Segmentation, Subsidy tagged handset lifetime value, handset strategy, HLTV, NPV, Subsidy
About the archives
Welcome to the archives here at Consultant Value Added. Have a look around.


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Seeing people wear Glasgow University merchandise such as hoodies bought out the uni shop is something you'd normally see worn by tourists, those who attend the university or did in the past.
That being said, in the case of the University of Glasgow's pure heavy cosy looking novelty socks, we think there's definitely room to make an exception to such a rule given just how cool they are.
It seems that the bright turquoise and thistle heel and toe patch socks, embossed with 'Team UofG' on the side and the sole, have become a must-have item - and not just on the uni campus.
University rector Aamer Anwar was spotted wearing one of the socks - which the learning institution has marketed as items which are 'guaranteed to help you find your feet at the uni'.
While Refuweegee founder Selina Hales also aired her admiration at the socks after being gifted a pair - which were given out for free to thousands of Freshers as part of their welcome packs.
And since the big giveaway to the new students to help them settle in and keep their feet warm, the novelty socks seem to have travelled far and wide far beyond the campus and even Scotland.
They look like they were worn by a guy doing a half-marathon in Helsinki, they've been spotted hanging about at an Amsterdam canal and even found their way to Delhi, Shanghai and The Library of Congress in Washington DC.
While if that isn't enough, the enthusiasm for the socks has spread to the animal world - with us having spotted a greyhound sporting a pair of the one-size-fits-all socks, as well as a unicorn.
And there's no reason to feel left out - with a quick look at the online university shop showing that the socks are on sale for £3.99 if anyone fancies snapping up a pair as the nights roll in!


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Phoenix artists are no stranger to The City Different -- that is Santa Fe, New Mexico. And last week some major things happened for Phoenix artists in the Land of Enchantment. During the third weekend of August, artists, and creative types gather in New Mexico for the annual Indian Market, gallery openings, new exhibits, films, fashion shows, and concerts that celebrate Native creativity. In addition to all that, this year there was a new market launched. Here's a rundown on all the Phoenix-related happenings from pop-up style events and murals to gallery openings and new markets.
On Thursday, August 21, the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) hosted an opening reception for its summer and fall exhibits, featuring pop-up markets and the trio of fashion bloggers from Presence 4.0. Two of the blog's founders and editors, Jaclyn Roessel and Nanibaa Beck, call Phoenix home and you're probably familiar with their faces. Also at MoCNA, Phoenix printmaker Jacob Meders set up his limited edition print stand so that art hungry audiences in Santa Fe could purchase the $3 prints sold out of a converted newspaper rack.
Thursday also featured the opening of Santa Fe's newest art market, IFAM (Indigenous Fine Art Market), which debuted to solid crowds. The Market was partially organized by Nanibaa Beck, and she proudly sold her work, including her popular necklaces, from her NotAbove line.
Continuing to shake things up, Doug Miles and crew not only participated in the IFAM market but also SWAIA's Indian Market. On Thursday Miles organized an all-ages skate boarding competition (IFAMily Affair), Friday he opened his show "The Art of Apache Resistance" at the Allan Houser Gallery, and Saturday his crew was part of a live art demo at the TimeShip Racing Skate School. All of his work got attention from state-wide press in New Mexico, so rest assured Arizona is being represented by the most poignant thought leaders.
Thomas "Breeze" Marcus showcased stellar work again at Blue Rain Gallery but also painted a mural at the Santa Fe TimeShip Racing Skate School with Colton Brock of Apache Skateboards as part of the arts happenings at the school. The result, like last year's mural in Santa Fe, was epic.
Like icing on the cake of a creative convergence Lakota Scott "trunk-showed" her items at IFAM and around town wherever fans could be found. Soon enough lots of trendy gals were sporting the "Summer Months" shirt on Sunday afternoon. Want one? She's taking orders through August 31.
Finally on a sad note, Native Appropriations blogger Adrienne Keene who has called Phoenix her home for the last year announced that she is moving on to a new position at Brown University on the east coast as a post-doctoral researcher. Phoenix loses a little street-cred with the departure of Keene who gracefully gave many interviews to national outlets from Phoenix this past year.


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Jane Rooney, Canada's financial literacy leader, has an action plan to help seniors improve their money skills. But it's not a complete solution.
Only one in eight consumers knows there is no right to cancel and get a deposit back if you change your mind about buying a car, a survey shows.
National Home Services attracts many complaints about high-pressure sales. It will soon be sold to a major rival, Reliance Comfort.
- Updated Queen’s Park sets sights on distracted drivers
- John Tory is the best choice to lead Toronto: Editorial
- Updated Canadian Tire suspends hydrogen project after Star story
- NEW Restaurant app Zomato faces tough competition in Toronto
- Do you think it's worth travelling to Buffalo to catch a flight?
- Video Soldier attacker had passport seized, RCMP says
- LIVE blog: Toronto mayoral debate
- Ministry of labour orders bike racks removed on certain TTC buses


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Britain’s biggest recycling success story is approaching maximum capacity with the vast majority of reusable materials being put back into use in construction.
The MPA says recovery of construction waste to produce recycled aggregates – and processing of industrial by-products into secondary aggregates – is close to reaching its upper limit.
In this report based on data from 2020, MPA estimates that 28% of aggregates for construction come from recycled and secondary sources – some 62 million tonnes in 2020. That means the mineral products industry recycles more than any other sector by volume and places Britain among the leading recyclers of construction materials in Europe.
For more information, please visit:
The Mineral Products Association (MPA) is the trade association for the aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete, dimension stone, lime, mortar and silica sand industries.
Mineral Products Association, Gillingham House, 38-44 Gillingham Street, London SW1V 1HU
T: 0207 963 8000


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Thu, 16 Nov 2017 14:50:43
Ireland’s Script returning to Bangkok stage
Riding the excitement over the release of their latest album “Freedom Child”, the Script will be performing in Bangkok at Impact Arena next April 28.
Mon, 13 Nov 2017 14:06:17
Impact Growth sees figures rise as concerts, conventions multiply
Impact Growth REIT has reported total revenue of Bt593 million, net profit of Bt328 million and 9-per-cent growth for the second quarter of fiscal 2017-2018.
Sat, 11 Nov 2017 09:19:40
'Framework' agreed on Asia-Pacific trade pact without US
Remaining members of a major Pacific trade deal abandoned by the United States have agreed to a new framework after days of stalled talks to revive the pact, Canada's trade minister said Saturday.
Sat, 11 Nov 2017 01:00:00
Preliminary pact reached on TPP: minister
PRELIMINARY agreement has been reached among ministers from 11 countries participating in the negotiation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) during their meeting on the sidelines of the Apec Economic Leaders’ Week.
Thu, 09 Nov 2017 06:55:34
11 nations enter final stretch on TPP deal
A ministerial meeting of 11 signatory countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement kicked off Wednesday, aiming to reach a broad agreement for the pact to take effect without the United States, which has pulled out of the deal.
Tue, 31 Oct 2017 15:46:11
‘Solutions available’ to give parties enough pre-poll preparation time: Meechai
Chief charter-drafter Meechai Ruchupan said on Tuesday that the junta ban on political gatherings would not have much impact on political activities in regard to the coming election, as “solutions were available”.
Mon, 30 Oct 2017 14:20:50
Airbnb toasts its ‘older and wiser’ customers
In its own annual observance of the United Nations’ International Day of Older Persons, Airbnb on October 1 took time “to acknowledge the impact they have on our families, communities and societies”.
Sat, 28 Oct 2017 01:00:00
Floods impact on close watch
FINANCE Ministry officials are keeping a close watch on how the floods will affect farmers’ incomes, the manufacturing sector and the economy as a whole, but initial assessments indicate the impact will be limited.
Wed, 25 Oct 2017 01:00:00
Born with 1917 Revolution, Russian centenarian recalls its impact
Maria Ryabtseva was just a baby when the 1917 October Revolution broke out. Since then the former nurse has lived through extraordinary events from the USSR’s birth and death to the dominance of President Vladimir Putin.
Wed, 25 Oct 2017 01:00:00
Countries told of impact on economy, production
Countries in the Asia-Pacific region need to gear up and prepare themselves for transition to the Industry 4.0 era that will have a major impact on their economies and productivity.
Tue, 24 Oct 2017 14:11:35
How artificial intelligence will impact culture
Animator Pierre Coffin, director of the “Despicable Me” and “Minions” movies, is skeptical about AI’s role in content creation.
Wed, 18 Oct 2017 15:40:00
Soft shell shuffle
Hong Kong Fisherman at Impact Exhibition Centre is bringing back its four soft shell crab dishes with a special promotion that runs until November.
Wed, 18 Oct 2017 01:00:00
Bangkok in danger of flooding unless old drainage improved, say academics
BANGKOK will not be safe from the severe impact of major storms unless there is a huge improvement in the capital’s drainage system and canal network, academics have warned as more heavy rain is predicted for the capital.
Mon, 16 Oct 2017 08:43:07
Clinton accuses WikiLeaks of blunting impact of crude Trump tape
Hillary Clinton Monday accused WikiLeaks of working with Russia to deflect attention away from an infamous tape of Donald Trump bragging about groping women in the run-up to the US presidential election.
Mon, 09 Oct 2017 15:37:38
Customs worries Asean-China free trade will trigger influx of Chinese goods
The Customs Department will hold talk with its Chinese counterpart over the impact of a new free trade agreement between Asean and China that will come into effect in January next year, of the department director general, Kulit Sombatsiri, said on Monday.


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By Joshua Franklin and Heather Somerville
Ride-hailing company Lyft Inc beat bigger rival Uber Technologies Inc in filing for an initial public offering (IPO) on Thursday, defying the recent market jitters and taking the lead on a string of billion-dollar-plus tech companies expected to join Wall Street next year.
Lyft’s IPO will test investors’ appetite for the most highly valued Silicon Valley companies and for the ride-hailing business, which has become a wildly popular service but remains unprofitable and has an uncertain future with the advance of self-driving cars.
San Francisco-based Lyft, last valued at about $15 billion in a private fundraising round, did not specify the number of shares it was selling or the price range in a confidential filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Lyft could go public as early as the first quarter of 2019, based on how quickly the SEC reviews its filing, people familiar with the matter said. Lyft’s valuation is likely to end up between $20 billion and $30 billion, one source added.
The ride service was set up in 2012 by entrepreneurs John Zimmer and Logan Green and has raised close to $5 billion from investors. While it continues to grow faster than its larger competitor, Uber, it is also losing money.
Lyft would follow a string of high-profile IPOs of technology companies valued at more than $1 billion this year, such as Dropbox Inc and Spotify Technology SA.
However, market turmoil fueled by the escalating trade tensions between the United States and China could dampen enthusiasm for the debuts of other 2019 hopefuls like apartment-rental service Airbnb Inc, analytics firm Palantir Technologies and Stripe Inc, a digital payment company. Including Lyft, these round out four of the top-10 most highly valued, venture-backed tech companies.
“Market declines mean that the offer price will be lower than otherwise. But there’s a danger of waiting to go public as well. Markets could go even lower, and the companies could raise less money if they waited longer,” said Jay Ritter, an IPO expert and professor at the University of Florida.
Such fears have pushed some companies to hustle. Uber moved its target IPO date up from the second half of next year to the first half. Some venture capitalists said they are urging portfolio companies that had been planning a public debut in the next 18 months to hurry up and file.
In a key test for the U.S. IPO market on Thursday, Moderna Inc is considering selling up to 20 percent more shares than originally planned in its IPO, allaying concerns that the stock market tumult could derail the biggest flotation of a biotechnology company since 2016, Reuters reported.
FLAG IN THE GROUND
The filing by Lyft, which hired JPMorgan Chase & Co, Credit Suisse and Jefferies as underwriters, plants a flag in the ground to go public before larger rival Uber. The race between them is one of the most closely watched in Silicon Valley.
A provision included in an investment by SoftBank into Uber requires the company to file for an IPO by Sept. 30 or the company risks allowing restrictions on shareholder stock transfers to expire.
Uber investor Mitchell Green, a partner at Lead Edge Capital, said Lyft going public first bodes well for Uber, because if Lyft trades at a high multiple, the much-larger Uber will command even more money.
“Lyft has built a very U.S.-based rideshare business that has done well,” Green said. “If public market investors get excited about that they are really going to get excited about a business that is 5X the size.”
Earlier this year, Lyft said it had 35 percent of the U.S. ride-hailing market. The company operates in the United States and Canada, while Uber is in much of the world and has other businesses including freight-hailing and food delivery.
Both Uber and Lyft have lost huge sums of money by spending heavily competing with each other for passengers and drivers and entering new markets, although they have recently raised prices and reduced subsidies. The companies have held out the promise of boosting profitability by eventually replacing human drivers with robots piloting autonomous vehicles, but a future of cities and suburbs crisscrossed by fleets of self-driving cars is years away, given the technical and regulatory challenges, particularly in the United States.
“With autonomous cars on the horizon, it is anyone’s guess where this sector goes in the future,” said Jeff Zell, senior research analyst and a partner at IPO Boutique in Florida.
Lyft in particular is one of the newest entrants to self-driving and has only a small robo-taxi service in Las Vegas using another company’s technology. Its investors include General Motors Corp, which holds a 9 percent stake in Lyft that it acquired for $500 million in 2016, but GM has wound down its cooperation with Lyft, choosing instead to acquire the autonomous car company Cruise.
Lyft presents other risks, including unresolved questions about its workforce of independent contractor drivers. A decision by the California Supreme Court earlier this year, which makes it easier for workers to prove they are employees and sets a higher standard for companies to treat workers as contractors, threatens to upend Lyft and Uber’s business models. Both companies face legal battles with drivers over their classification.


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The augmented reality, virtual reality & mixed reality (AR/ VR/ XR) market is projected to witness stellar growth owing to the booming gaming industry, along with a rising need for head-mounted displays.
The new MRFR report suggests a whopping 73.3% CAGR in the augmented reality and virtual reality (ARVR) market between 2018 and 2025.
The AR and VR market is projected to gain traction mainly due to a massive wave of demand from multiple sectors. Healthcare, life & sciences, education, gaming, entertainment, e-commerce, and retail are fuelling significant demand for AR & VR technology.
The verticals of e-commerce and retail are expected to push the AR & VR market substantially due to rising competition among industry giants. E Commerce players are using AR & VR technology to revolutionize the online shopping landscape by providing a virtual reality shopping experience.
Also, a rapid rise in the demand for VR headsets is witnessed due to skyrocketing growth in the gaming industry
With developments witnessed by the 5G technology, integration of the same in the augmented and virtual reality technology is likely to push the market.
Many organizations are adopting augmented reality and virtual reality technology to enhance the consumer experience of their products and services.
Start your AR/ VR journey with us. We are fully equipped to provide end-to-end Design, Development, Deployment and hosting services for any exciting AR/ VR idea.


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POCO was teasing for the last few days that the company is going to bring a new smartphone of its ‘M’ series in India very soon. At the same time, today the company has lifted the curtain on both the name of this mobile phone and its launch date. Poco India has told that the upcoming new smartphone of the brand will be POCO M4 Pro 5G phone which will be launched in India on February 15. It is worth noting that the Poco M4 Pro 5G phone is already available for sale in the global market, so the specifications of the phone are also not hidden from anyone.
POCO M4 Pro 5G Features and Specifications
Talking about the features and specifications of the Poco M4 Pro 5G phone, this mobile phone was launched in China on a 6.6-inch display that supports a 90Hz refresh rate. This screen is made on the punch-hole design in which three sides of the display are bezel-less and a slight chin part is given at the bottom. The hole equipped with the selfie camera is given right in the middle of the screen.
— POCO India (@IndiaPOCO) February 8, 2022
POCO M4 Pro 5G has been launched on Android 11 which works in conjunction with MIUI. For processing, this phone has an octa-core processor working at 2.4 GHz clock speed and MediaTek’s Dimensity 810 chipset built on 6-nanometer fabrications. In the global market, this Poco phone was launched on 4 GB RAM and 6 GB RAM memory, so it is expected that the same RAM variants can be launched in India as well.
For photography, a 50-megapixel primary rear camera sensor with LED flash has been given on the back panel of the Poco M4 Pro 5G phone, along with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle lens. Similarly, this mobile phone supports 16-megapixel front camera for selfie and video calling. For power backup, a 5,000 mAh battery is provided in Poco M4 Pro, which supports 33W fast charging. In the global market, this phone was launched with a budget of Rs 19,000. It can be expected that the price of POCO M4 Pro 5G in India can be kept around Rs 16,000.


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Cadillac expects record global sales in 2020 – CT6 sedan officially dead
Sat, Jan 25 2020
- Cadillac expects to achieve its third-consecutive year of record global sales in 2020.
- Leading those sales are expected to be double-digit sales gains in China.
- Not contributing to its U.S. sales much longer will be the Cadillac CT6, which will end production at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant in Michigan at the end of the month.
DETROIT – Cadillac expects to achieve its third-consecutive year of record global sales in 2020, according to head of the General Motors luxury brand.
Those expectations, according to Cadillac President Steve Carlisle, will be led by continued double-digit sales gains in China this year despite some economic uncertainty and slowing sales in the country, primarily in the mass-market.
“We’re still entering new segments in China and we’re still building out a distribution network, so there’s a lot of reasons to believe that we’ll improve volume and share in China this year,” Carlisle told CNBC on Thursday. “It will be double-digit growth again in China.”
Cadillac’s global sales last year were up 8.8% to roughly 390,000 vehicles compared to 2018, led by a 10.9% increase for Cadillac in China. That compares to Cadillac’s U.S. sales, which were up only 1% to more than 156,000 in 2019.
China overtook the U.S. as Cadillac’s top sales market in 2017, two years before executives at the time expected.
More at link


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Google is working on a medical-grade fitness tracking wristband, according to Bloomberg. Not only will it measure vitals like heart rate, pulse, and skin temperature on a "minute-by-minute" basis, it will also measure external information like sun exposure.
The wristband is being developed by Google X, the secretive lab behind projects like Glass, Loon, and the company's self-driving cars. It won't be available to general consumers. Instead, Google intends for the device to be used in clinical trials and prescribed to medical patients.
The new watch is not for sale
By doing that, Google will help doctors tackle the problem of reliably tracking the health of their patients away from the hospital. Consumer-grade fitness trackers don't offer the medical-grade accuracy, and patients can be unreliable when it comes to reporting their own vitals. Apple is trying to solve a similar problem with ResearchKit, its own software platform for clinical trials, with the difference being that ResearchKit apps are available to anyone with an iPhone.
Google X already has a number of medical projects in the works. In 2014 the company announced that the lab was working on a contact lens that can monitor diabetes patients' glucose levels. And, this past January, we learned it was partnering with drug makers to research multiple sclerosis.
Verge Video: Inside Google's ambitious balloon project


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Use of robotics in pharma packaging, manufacturing on the rise: Beroe
Recent market intelligence from Beroe points out that while robotics are already in widespread use in various manufacturing sectors, their use is increasing more slowly in some areas, including pharmaceutical packaging and manufacturing. According to the firm, both large and small businesses turn to robotics and autonomous mobile robot technology to stem labor shortages, handle quality control, attain consistency, and stay competitive.
Jaya Krishnan J, a senior domain analyst with Beroe, remarked the collaborative robots (or ‘cobots’ market is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 43%, reaching $9.2b by 2025. Collaborative robots are ones that may interact with human staff in a work environment.
“An autonomous mobile robot can grasp its surroundings and navigate through them without the assistance of a human operator; sensors, computers, and maps are used to attain this level of autonomy,” he remarked.
Another potential appeal of cobots in manufacturing environments is the relatively lower level of capital they demand. Also, because they typically do not require alteration to the infrastructure they operate in autonomous mobile robots are less expensive than other types of automation and tend to be scalable, reducing the upfront cost.
However, although robotics technology has progressed, the pharmaceutical sector faces different obstacles than others, including a tougher climate. This may explain the slower rate at which pharma is embracing robotics in packaging and manufacturing than other industries, Beroe reports.
Cobots can be used for packaging, counting, dispensing, inspection, packaging, and others. According to Beroe, they can help ensure consistent outcomes for products, an important consideration in an industry where quality and safety are paramount.
"For industrial facilities to remain relevant and overcome productivity deficits, technology breakthroughs such as cobots and AMRs are critical innovations," Krishnan remarked, "In both research and production, these robots are now mainstream and are expected to operate alongside people. The collaborative robots market is slowly taking over, and this will only deepen in the pharma sector."


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Two-thirds of all homemakers (67%) have used a recipe within the past month, and two in five (42%) use recipes even more often, according to the NPD report, entitled Recipes are Cooking!. Dinner is the dominant recipe-using occasion. Nearly 38 million US households have used a recipe while preparing dinner in the past week, and on a typical evening, 11 million households used a recipe to cook dinner.
“Cost-conscious American families are eating meals at home more, which means household cooks are in greater need of meal ideas,” says Darren Seifer, NPD food and beverage industry analyst. “Recipes provide the ideas for convenient and good tasting meals and enable households to stretch food dollars by providing new and creative ways to use ingredients already available at home.”
Growth in recipe usage is being driven primarily by young adults, Millennials. One-half of Millennials, nearly 30 million young adults, are now using recipes at least once a week. Forty-five percent of Generation Xers, or nearly 25 million adults, use recipes at least once a week. Frequent recipe users, those households that use recipes at least once a week, also tend to be traditional families that include children under the age of 18.


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Story on the news yesterday about the police removing 1,219 websites claiming to sell desirable items such as Tiffany Jewellery and Ugg boots. Most are hosted in China and there are no goods for sale, they just take your money and run.
I did a quick Google for Ugg boots this morning and if you do so too, you can see that most of the Ugg sites that come up in the search are not working anymore. What a minefuield for shoppers because there are lots! Feel sorry for those that tried to buy from the dodgy sites.
At least it gives me a chance for a shameless plug for http://www.shudoo.co.uk/, a genuine Ugg boot store. They now have the Kensington boot back in stock (pictured) so hurry if you want a pair!


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VW workers may block southern U.S. deals if no unions: labor chief
Workers at VW's factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, last Friday voted against representation by the United Auto Workers union (UAW), rejecting efforts by VW representatives to set up a German-style works council at the...
BY KARL HENKEL
SEPTEMBER 23, 2012
The Canadian Auto Workers on Sunday said that 82 percent of Ford Motor Co. workers have ratified a new four-year contract.
"Our members at Ford recognize that in these uncertain economic times, some of the most important elements of a new...
Ford workers ratify new contract with UAW
By: Dee-Ann Durbin and Tom Krisher
October 18, 2011
DETROIT (AP) -- Ford Motor Co.'s U.S. factory workers have approved a new four-year labor contract that promises profit-sharing checks and billions in U.S. plant investments but keeps the...
Chrysler suspends nine workers at Trenton plant over drinking and smoking scandal
By Steven J. Ewing
Jul 19th 2011
Last week, the local news team at FOX 2 Detroit broke this story about Chrysler employees caught drinking and smoking on their lunch break near the Trenton Engine...
FORD TO ADD 7,000 U.S. WORKERS IN NEXT TWO YEARS; EXPANDS COMMITMENT TO AMERICAN MANUFACTURING
•Ford will add more than 7,000 new hourly and salaried jobs between this year and next in the United States
•As part of this job growth, Ford will begin recruiting engineers specializing in...
UAW-represented workers at General Motors's Nexteer steering plant in Saginaw approved contract changes Tuesday that requires them to give back raises in return for a cash payment and also includes a buy down for skilled trades workers.
Workers at the Ford Transit factory in Southampton have downed tools in a protest over the firm's future plans.
The company branded the walkout by up to 100 of the 500 staff on site on Monday as "unconstitutional" and having "no legal basis".
Employees left at 1200 BST - two hours before the...
Workers at Ford's Wixom plant punching out for the last time
Oakland County town prepares to go on without the employer that gave it life a half-century ago
Louis Aguilar / The Detroit News
WIXOM -- This town wouldn't exist without Ford Motor Co. -- but now it's going to have to try.
In all of recorded employment history, it has never been a good thing when the boss "requests" that employees talk up the company, especially when non-employees know that those workers are operating under orders. Nevertheless, that is exactly...
The day he got home from the Army 37 years ago was the day Angelo Bruno got a job as a painter at Ford Motor Co.'s Michigan Truck Plant. He's been proud of his career -- until now. The automaker's woes have forced changes at the plant that have left him as angry with his union as he is at Ford...
ST. PETERSBURG. Feb 15 (Interfax) - Workers at ZAO Ford Motor Company, a Russian outlet of the U.S. carmaker located in Vsevolozhsk in the Leningrad region, suspended a strike and resumed work at midnight on Wednesday, Alexei Etmanov, the factory's union leader, told Interfax.
Taking part in...


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Hewlett Packard are in the press for all the wrong reasons lately and now they have launched a lawsuit to stop ex CEO Mark Hurd from moving to Oracle. Experts have said that this is going to be a difficult lawsuit for them to win because the California courts generally allow employees to move freely.
HP have said that if Mark Hurd worked as an Oracle president then it would be ‘impossible' for him to avoid passing over trade secrets and confidential information. Mark Lemley, a professor at Stanford Law School said “Neither will California courts enforce a noncompete agreement. HP will have to show real evidence that Mark Hurd is about to use its secrets at Oracle.”
This lawsuit is nothing new in such circles as high profile companies have clashed over hiring in the past. One company will be very wary of leaders moving companies and taking all their sensitive information with them.
Outspoken CEO Larry Ellison who has already called the HP board ‘idiots‘ for letting Hurd go has said that the lawsuit is ‘vindictive' and that this move will make it harder for the two companies to work together in the future. “Oracle has long viewed HP as an important partner,” Ellison said. “The HP board is acting with utter disregard for that partnership, our joint customers, and their own shareholders and employees. The HP Board is making it virtually impossible for Oracle and HP to continue to cooperate.”
Hurd “was privy to the most sensitive of HP trade secret and confidential information,” HP said.
The legal wranglings continue and we will keep you updated as information breaks.


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Windows 8 launches on October 26, 2012. (Photo : REUTERS/Alex Gallardo)
Keith Lorizio, Micosoft's U.S. sales and marketing vice president, expects Windows 8 to host more than 100,000 apps during the first few months of the operating system's launch.
"Every publisher who adds an app into the porfolio of apps we have in the marketplace...we will work with them in order to execute a deal so they can take a share of the revenue for the ads that we sell on to the network, and the same ads will appear across the network of advertisers, and the most unique thing...will be a common look and feel," says Lorizio in an interview with Beet.TV.
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By incentivising app creation on the platform, Microsoft hopes to draw in 400 million Windows 8 consumers by July 2013.
Windows 8's new app-centered ecosystem shifts a portion of the responsibility of its upkeep to its audience, which must actively upload new content for the OS's marketplace to thrive. Lorizio is well aware of this newfound dynamic. "With Windows 8, it's not just about pivoting around productivity, which every Windows release has been known for --now we're going to pivot off the consumer."
Those who would like to upgrade early can download the consumer preview here. When the OS officially launches, Mircosoft will offer a discounted $14.99 upgrade fee for consumers who bought a Windows PC on June 2, 2012 or after. Those interested can visit this site to register for a promo code now. The promotion ends on January 31, 2013. If you are not elegible for the code, you will still be able to purchase a discounted version of the OS for $39 between the previously mentioned dates. The final retail price of Windows 8 after this "early adopter" period is still unannounced.
Windows 8 launches on October 26, 2012.
Expect regular updates from Latinos Post leading up to the OS's launch.


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Elon Musk changed Twitter’s iconic blue bird logo to an X, the New York Times reported. But that’s far from the only change for what was once a simple social media app.
The newly dubbed “everything app” is intended to be much more than a social media platform. It plans to include payment services and instant messaging – more along the lines of WeChat, a Chinese app, according to the New York Times.
Musk has had plans in the works to change Twitter to X for some time now.
“Sorry it took so long,” he said during a weekend Twitter Spaces, NYT reported.
Twitter Chief Executive Linda Yaccarino tweeted Sunday that people have pushed Twitter to be better.
“To dream bigger, to innovate faster, and to fulfill our great potential. X will do that and more,” she posted adding that there are no limits now. “We’ve already started to see X take shape over the past 8 months through our rapid feature launches, but we’re just getting started.”
Why it matters: You simply can’t be everything to everybody. It’s evident that Twitter’s facing an existential identity crisis. They are no longer just a communications platform to connect with others over tweets and inside jokes with your virtual friends. It’s not even a practical place to engage in deeper discussions anymore. Want to communicate about your brand and connect with followers? Good luck. For a long time, Twitter was the platform where cool things were happening. Now, their focus to try to be everything at once dims their platform’s mission and makes them forget about what made them a household name in the first place.
Musk tweeted on Sunday that the X logo is “to embody the imperfections in us all that make us unique.”
The X rebrand seems to be the opposite of that goal as it created just another sterile, bland logo that doesn’t embody anything to anyone (think Max to HBO Max). It also jettisons more than a decade of brand equity and seems likely to kill the well-known phrases: tweet and retweet.
It’s time now to start thinking about jumping ship from this platform for your brand. Consider finding a new platform that resonates more with your brand and make the switch. It’s not going to be easy but look into it now before you are stuck wondering where everyone, including your audience, went.
Editor’s Top Picks:
- David Letterman was seen wearing an apron at an Iowa Hy-Vee grocery store during a recent “shift.” “You never know who you’ll bump into while shopping the aisles at Hy-Vee,” a Facebook photo caption read. Letterman was in the state last weekend attending the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race at the grocery store before the event. Letterman and his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team co-own No. 45 race car, driven by Christian Lundgaard. It was a fun, playful photo op that helped drive attention to the race using Letterman’s star power, that far outstrips most drivers in the series.
- The “Barbie” movie has garnered a very warm reception from fans in the U.S. who shelled out about $155 million this past weekend to catch the movie. Retailers have also gotten in on the pinkalicious fun as brands have debuted scores of Barbie-themed merchandise from toothbrushes to home goods. “UBS Executive Director Arpiné Kocharyan said that the movie’s release would possibly give the franchise an “overall halo effect,” with a bigger chance in products for consumers, given the film’s older audience reach, according to Reuters.
- OpenAI’s Trust and Safety Leader Dave Willner announced his plans to depart from his job, which he’s held since February 2022. In a LinkedIn post, Willner said he is leaving as an employee and moving into an advisory role. “I’m proud of everything our team has accomplished in my time at OpenAI, and while my job there was one of the coolest and most interesting jobs it’s possible to have today, it had also grown dramatically in its scope and scale since I first joined,” Willner said. Willner’s departure takes place as the company’s ChatGPT AI chatbot is at a pivotal juncture. Lawmakers, regulators and others have safety and privacy concerns and want answers from OpenAI about solving these mounting issues.
Sherri Kolade is a writer at Ragan Communications. When she is not with her family, she enjoys watching Alfred Hitchcock-style films, reading and building an authentically curated life that includes more than occasionally finding something deliciously fried. Follow her on LinkedIn. Have a great PR story idea? Email her at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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For this year's DECODED Future, the Stylus-hosted annual conference, Dash Hudson teamed up with MATCHESFASHION to discuss building an engaged community online and the importance of social media in an impactful omnichannel strategy. Here’s what our session covered:
On Tuesday 9th June, we had an insightful session with Hannah Fillis, Head of Social at MATCHESFASHION, as part of DECODED Future annual conference hosted by Stylus. We discussed community best practices, why marketers need to shift their mindset around measuring success, and how to integrate social with your website and email marketing.
Even before the onset of social distancing, social media has been a crucial avenue for brands to connect with and convert consumers. Now, it has become the heartbeat of any successful omnichannel strategy. The creative that emerges between brands and fans on social media can fuel a highly converting channel strategy, and an engaged digital community.
Given the monumental changes we’ve seen this year social media has become more important for MATCHESFASHION, and the brand has been able to pivot quickly, making social the leading touchpoint for customers.
When it comes to community, MATCHESFASHION has always been a step ahead at cultivating and engaging their audience. Watch the recording below for the full conversation.


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Valve’s ‘Lighthouse’ tracking system relies on an array of sensors which detect laser sweeps from the accompanying base stations. Valve has shown a glimpse of the latest iteration of the sensors which are remarkably small compared to earlier prototypes.
Valve’s “chief pharologist“, Alan Yates, tweeted a photo of the latest iteration of the Lighthouse sensor, tiny photodiodes which cover the HTC Vive headset and controllers to achieve what the company calls ‘room-scale’ tracking.
The photo shows the miniscule sensors and tiny onboard electronics against the backdrop of a US quarter for scale. One of the biggest real-estate hogs on the sensor appears to be a pin array for connecting the sensors together. Prior prototype sensors were far larger.
The diminutive sensors offer exciting potential for the creation of standalone sensor pucks which could be easily affixed to any object to enable Lighthouse tracking. Valve has said they want to make Lighthouse the widely used standard for VR tracking.


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TikTok sued for violation of children’s rights
The Take Back Your Privacy Foundation (TBYP), in cooperation with the Consumentenbond, is taking TikTok to court. The organizations previously set forth demands against the company for violating the privacy and consumer rights of children. Discussions with TikTok did not lead to a settlement.
The Consumentenbond and TBYP demand that TikTok ceases all of its unlawful actions, deletes all illegally collected personal data, and pays damages to the children harmed by TikTok’s conduct. Two types of damages are to be paid by TikTok. First, a total amount of 2 billion EUR is claimed, to allow to pay to each affected child a fixed amount:
- €1,500 for each child who was under 13 when they started using the app;
- €1,250 for each child who was 13, 14 or 15 when they started using the app;
- €1,000 for each child who was 16 or 17 when they started using the app.
Second, TBYP and the Consumentenbond demand that TikTok pays as damages the profits the company has earned on the backs of Dutch children. In 2020, ByteDance, the parent company behind TikTok, made a profit of USD 19 billion.
“It is clear that TikTok does not take children’s privacy seriously”, says Friederike van der Jagt, chair of TBYP. “TikTok keeps sacrificing children’s privacy to make a profit. TikTok’s behavior has been especially egregious in light of how children isolated by the Covid lockdowns increasingly turned to the platform for social interaction, amplifying TikTok’s ability to illegally harvest their personal data.”
According to Sandra Molenaar, director of the Consumer Association, TikTok’s violations justify the amount of compensation demanded: “TikTok has scandalously abused the sometimes very young children. It has misled them, violated their privacy and made a huge profit on their backs. Pure exploitation, which they must be compensated for. And this must be done in a way that also acts as a deterrent for other companies that do the same.”
1.5 million children
TikTok, and its predecessor musical.ly, have been illegally collecting private data from children for years. This includes dates of birth, telephone numbers and email addresses, but also sensitive information, such as information about sexual orientation and religious beliefs and even biometric data (such as facial recognition). The company uses this data to sell advertisements. The company is also violating children’s consumer rights. According to research conducted by TBYP, TikTok has victimized more than 1.5 million Dutch children.
The Consumentenbond and TBYP are calling on consumers to support the action and sign up. This applies in particular to parents of children who have used TikTok or its predecessor, musical.ly, in the Netherlands since May 25, 2018. Signing up is free. Over 11,500 people have already signed up.
The action is supported by the European consumer organization BEUC, Terre des Hommes, Platform Bescherming Burgerrechten, Bits of Freedom, Privacy First, Defence for Children, Bureau Jeugd en Media, KidsRights and research institute Waag, among others.


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Business conditions in the UAE’s non-oil private sector recovered momentum in March after dipping in February, with an increase in output, orders and job creation boosting confidence in companies, the latest report from Emirates NBD said.
The Dubai lender’s UAE Purchasing Managers’ Index – a composite indicator designed to give an overview of operating conditions in the non-oil private sector economy – rose to 55.7 last month from a 28-month low of 53.4 in February.
A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the economy and a reading below signals contraction. The latest figure signalled a “solid” monthly improvement in the health of the non-oil private sector, led by growth in output and new orders, according to Emirates NBD.
“After a surprisingly weak February reading, it was encouraging to see the headline PMI recover to a 55-handle in March,” said Khatija Haque, head of Mena research at Emirates NBD.
“The acceleration in output and new orders suggests demand has improved, although this was likely supported by further declines in selling prices in March.”
The overall environment remains competitive for businesses, she added. “Growth in inventories, together with a rise in future output suggests businesses are more optimistic about their prospects than they have been in recent months.”
Higher customer demand and successful marketing led to a rise in business activity in March, and employment was also more positive than in previous months, with staffing levels stabilising following a drop in February, according to the tracker.
However, fewer than 3 per cent of companies surveyed for the latest report said they hired new staff in March.
New orders increased in line with the series average growth rate, although discounts may have been offered to secure sales in a competitive environment, Emirates NBD said. The rate of expansion in new export orders quickened to recover from February’s 11-month low, driven by new orders from the GCC and US.
Such signs of stronger market demand boosted business confidence, recovering from in March February's 11-month low and was the strongest in the survey's history, surpassing the previous record seen in October 2018.
However, output prices decreased for the sixth successive month and supply chains came under pressure, with companies’ purchase costs rising only slightly. Backlogs of work increased at the slowest pace for a year, the Emirates NBD report added.


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Strong exports growth narrows U.S. trade deficit
U.S. exports grew by nearly $4 billion in March, the biggest increase in nine months.
This growth in exports helped narrow the U.S. trade deficit in March to $40.4 billion, down from $41.9 billion in February, according to the Commerce Department.
Imports also increased in March, which also could be interpreted as a good sign since that indicates businesses and consumers are spending more.
You can thank Boeing and other aerospace companies for much of the increase in exports: exports of civilian aircraft, including engine components, were up by $1.5 billion. Exports also were up for industrial supplies and automotive vehicles and parts. Consumer goods exports declined.
Growth in manufactured goods was disappointing, however, showing little change from a year ago, according to Chad Moutray, chief economist for the National Association of Manufacturers. He’s hopeful that “better worldwide growth rates will produce improved manufactured goods exports moving forward.”
America’s trade deficit with China narrowed, but trade deficits with South Korea, Mexico and Europe increased.
The Korean trade deficit is particularly troubling, said Alan Tonelson, a research fellow at the U.S. Business and Industry Council, since America’s free trade agreement with that country is the model for the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.
“The March trade figures show a worsening U.S. performance in nearly all areas heavily influenced by American trade deals and policy, and represent a powerful indictment of President Obama’s approach to the global economy,” Tonelson said.
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Operation Candy Crush: The Whole Story and What We Can Learn From It
Back in February, “Operation Candy Crush” made national headline news. The story is itself intriguing and full of suspense, calling into question current CBD laws. On February 12, police officers from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office raided 23 stores across the county. In these busts, deputies seized a variety of non-psychoactive cannabidiol products, labeled under the widely known abbreviation CBD.
Officers took CBD oils, vape cartridges, gummy candies, and even cash as evidence. They closed all the stores and kept them locked for four whole days. If that is not odd enough, the District Attorney’s Office further petitioned to shut down all 23 stores permanently, claiming them public nuisances. In yet another twist, 21 storeowners found themselves facing felony charges for selling drugs illegally.
Can You Buy CBD Legally?
To add injury to insult, the case gets even weirder: At least one storeowner has grounds to hold authorities accountable for losses sustained while the store was under order to stay closed. The Last Stop Market saw its stock looted when a thief broke in during its enforced shutdown. According to store clerk Jacklyn Ryder, she was working when the raid occurred and had no chance to secure the premises.
In an interview with a local TV news station, Ryder said, “Our store was left unalarmed for four days while we were closed down because of this.” She blamed deputies for denying her the fleeting time needed to set the store’s alarm before shutting it down. The thief pried the store’s back door open, stole some beer and merrily left the store $600 richer.
During the easiest burglary in history, the thief damaged the store’s door extensively. The owner of Last Stop Market intends filing suit against authorities, which is a sentiment that Ryder shares. She explained, “I feel not only him. I feel like every store that suffered should file a lawsuit because they have families too.” This is true for all involved, as many lost sales, wages, and even human dignity.
Ryder continued her story, “I went four days. That is about $400 out of my check that I do not have now because of some allegation that is not true.” It seems all the confusion stems from whether the CBD oils and products originated from marijuana or hemp. Most marijuana strains have high concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. However, hemp does not.
THC is the chemical constituent responsible for making users high, but hemp contains very little of it. In fact, hemp cannot make you stoned. For this reason, most CBD products are hemp-derived, and while some companies extract cannabidiol specifically from marijuana plants to make CBD products, the result is the same: Users get all the medical benefits of cannabis without getting high.
Therefore, for a chemical having no mental effects on users, which no honest person could even consider a drug; storeowners had their stores closed and felony charges brought against them. Even worse, as the Tennessee Department of Agriculture states, farmers can grow hemp legally under a pilot program. Despite all of this, officers still raided these stores, arrested people and shut businesses down.
To establish if the CBD oils and other products came from marijuana or hemp, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, or TBI, sent them in for laboratory testing. According to Rutherford County, Tennessee District Judge Jennings J. Jones, “Chemists from the TBI informed my office that they cannot determine whether the cannabidiol detected on these products came from a hemp plant or a marijuana plant.”
Initially, Jones supported the actions of the officers, expressing extreme confidence in their case. In a complete about-turn, he said during a press conference that, “TBI is no longer willing to testify that this is a Schedule VI substance. We have no choice to dismiss.” However, Jones also said that, “If you possess this without a prescription, you have broken the law.”
If anyone in Tennessee is still rightly confused, Jones further elaborated with, “If you are selling this without a prescription, or if you are not a pharmacy selling it to someone with a prescription for it, you have broken the law.” Legalese can be confusing, but in English, this means that you can buy CBD legally if you have a prescription and shops can only conduct legal CBD sales with those who have one.back to menu ↑
Lessons from “Operation Candy Crush”
Because tests could not decipher whether the CBD products were hemp- or marijuana-derived, prosecutors had no choice but to drop the charges against all indicted in this case. The District Attorney’s Office also had to end their actions against the shops too. On February 28, Jones said in a press release that he was filing a motion for the court to dismiss all charges.
In response to the ordeal, other storeowners will join Last Stop Market to file a civil claim. They supported each other during the whole saga and vowed not to enter into any plea bargain. Stacy Hamilton, an affected storeowner, said, “This has caused an enormous cost to all the storeowners. I do not think they will apologize in nearly a public way as they condemned us as drug dealers.”


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RUSSIA – Bilateral goods trade with Russia and India will increase from $10 billion to $30 billion by 2025, talks between Russian and Indian trade delegations have revealed.
Buffalo meat and dairy product activity is expected to partly drive the increase, said Russian animal and plant surveillance body Rosselkhoznadzor.
At a meeting on the Agreement of Free Trade between India and the Eurasian Economic Union, Indian parties noted difficulty to comply with Russian raw milk requirements. Rosselkhoznadzor said rules dictate herds are at least 1,000 head, of which there are currently two in India.
The regulation stands to guard against infectious diseases like foot and mouth disease, brucellosis and tuberculosis, risks Russian officials say are “much easier to control” on big farms.
Rosselhhoznadzor said animal traceability, such as tagging animals, was a “key element” of food safety.
Further talks are planned for September this year with a meeting on scientific, technical and cultural cooperation planned for October.
TheCattleSite News Desk
Top image via Shutterstock


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The rumors have been circulating about the two new Galaxy smartphones, and it has already been said that the new S8 will come with pressure sensitive display. However, latest rumors indicate that the new gadgets – Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 – will feature new flexible displays and that the two flagships will not be so similar in design like before.
The South Korean tech giant is rumored to be using a so-called “two-track” strategy, and one of their new flagship phones will have a ‘dual-screen.’ This means that one screen will be on the front and the other one on the back of the device, whereas the other smartphone will come with a foldable OLED display. Samsung will test the market first with a small number of devices with dual-screen, after which they are going to introduce foldable smartphones.
This company did something similar in past when the Galaxy Round with a curved display was launched in 2013, and the Galaxy Note Edge with an edge display went on sale a year after that. Samsung has planned to manufacture a foldable display for a while now, and three years ago they posted a video with an “in-foldable” smartphone. This means that the panel can be folded inwards, but they want to produce “out-foldable” device in which OLED panels are placed on the sides allowing the front and the back to be folded.
“In-foldable smartphone is seen as the first type of a foldable smartphone. Out-foldable smartphone is the next step of in-foldable smartphone,” as Korean ETnews reported. The new dual-screen and foldable Galaxy S8 and Note 8 will go on sale in 2017. We can’t miss mentioning problems we saw during the last few months and express our hopes that this time everything will go as planned with both devices and that this company will not suffer from further problems like with Note 7 device.


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Thessaloniki Takes Part in First World Sports Tourism Congress
“Sports events can accelarate tourism development if used successfully for the brand development of a destination,” Thessaloniki Tourism Organization President Voula Patoulidou said during the 1st World Sports Tourism Congress that took place in Lloret de Mar, Spain, during November 25-26.
Organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Catalan Tourism Agency (ACT), the congress focused on the unique capacity of the sector to promote sustainable and inclusive development, diversification and public-private partnership.
Referring to sports tourism as a fast growing sector, Patoulidou presented the sports experiences offered to travelers in Thessaloniki, as well as to the major sports events taking place in the northern port city every year including the “Alexander the Great International Marathon” and the “International Thessaloniki Night Half Marathon”.
1st World Sports Tourism Congress deemed a success
The 1st World Sports Tourism Congress featured more than 50 speakers – more than half of them in person – from Canada, Croatia, the United States, Spain, France, Wales, Italy and South Africa, among others.
Renowned experts and academics in sports tourism debated over two days on current and future trends in the sector and underlined the key role of sport for the development of a more sustainable and inclusive tourism.
During the opening ceremony, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said the tourism sector was ready to welcome tourists again, with the recovery of sports tourism playing an important role.
“An encouraging example is the gradual return of major sporting events, which is a major driver of the restart of tourism,” he said.
The congress was attended in person by some 350 participants, while more than 150 followed it online.


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BQ is delighted to announce a new media partnership supporting the work of Entrepreneurial Spark powered by NatWest and RBS UK wide.
The partnership will see BQ support the growth of the Entrepreneurial Spark hub and its network of emerging entrepreneurs across the UK.
Bryan Hoare, managing director of BQ, said: “Supporting and inspiring entrepreneurship to help businesses succeed and grow remains at the heart of BQ and we are delighted to be supporting Entrepreneurial Spark going forward.
“As one of the world’s largest free business accelerators for early stage and growing ventures, it is already making a huge contribution to the future success of entrepreneurship across the UK and we are delighted to play our part in showcasing their activity.
“To enable us to work closely with both Entrepreneurial Spark and the start-ups they support we have agreed to take residence in a number of key hatcheries as community members.
“As a result BQ will have direct access to some the UK’s leading start-up businesses to give them early stage PR support whilst also connecting them to our own entrepreneurial networks.”
Jim Duffy, CEO of Entrepreneurial Spark, added: “We’re pleased to be working with the team at BQ in celebrating entrepreneurship across the UK.
“BQ offers a great platform to shout about the success of some of the UK’s hottest start-up and scale-up businesses.
“I can’t wait to read about them!”
The Entrepreneurial Spark Accelerator Programme lasts for six months and can continue for up to 18 months.
Our BQ Bulletin emails will land in your inbox at 7.30am, Monday to Friday, with a mix of the latest local business news, national news, and features to inspire you. Sign up here!
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BIS paper on mCBDC arrangements and cross-border
BIS brief on regulating big techs in finance
EC roadmap for instant payments in EU
‘Pay at gate’ change to airline payment model?
Giropay merger to build uniform payment brand
LINK on Cash and Covid-19
Stripe €80 billion valuation
Sum Up also raising more funds
Yandex launches Pay wallet
Afterpay using Clearpay brand for EU expansion
The paper explores dimensions of payment system interoperability, how they could feature in mCBDC arrangements and where potential benefits lie. mCBDC arrangements are where interoperating CBDCs join together as a group.
Risks connected with big tech activities in finance may not be fully captured by the regulatory approach up to now, which is geared towards individual entities or specific activities and not the risks that are created by substantive interlinkages within big tech groups and their role as critical service providers for financial institutions.
The Consultation is based on an inception impact assessment (roadmap) that assesses the need to foster pan-European market initiatives based on instant payments to ensure that anyone holding a payment account in the EU can receive and send an instant credit transfer from and to any other payment account in the EU.
The German Business Travel Association has called for a change in the current airline payment model.
The change would solve the problem where, if a large number of cancellations occur due to a crisis, airlines are not able (or willing?) to reimburse the money due to customers.
The VDR has posted that Lufthansa has made concrete plans for a part revisal of its existing “pay-as-you-fly” tariff. The modified tariff model provides that the payment process for intra-European flights is only initiated at the time of departure. In addition, customers should only be charged for flights actually used.
The merged channels will see Banks and savings banks using paydirekt, Giropay and Kwitt under the Giropay brand. The aim is to “harmonise and interlink” the payment processes for customers and retailers, the goal, a uniform payment brand.
LINK has published two articles
“Looking forward it is very likely that some consumers’ cash usage habits will have fundamentally changed but that the requirement for cash access, as a contingency and for vulnerable consumers will be more important than ever. A fundamental review and potential restructuring of the country’s ATM network and its business model may therefore be necessary”.
The company will use the capital to invest in its European operations, and its Dublin headquarters in particular, support surging demand from enterprise heavyweights across Europe, and expand its Global Payments and Treasury Network. Primary investors include Ireland’s National Treasury Management Agency.
With a strong rosta of investors including Goldman Sachs, Temasek and Bain Capital Credit, SumUp is looking to accelerate its growth. The new funds will also be used to continue expanding its product suite, both organically and through further acquisitions (gastronomy, hospitality, stadia, and concert arenas), as well as for refinancing existing debt facilities.
Yandex has launched Yandex.Pay.
Initially the wallet is available via websites, with Yandex intending to roll out the payment service in mobile applications and offline. Currently, Yandex account holders can upload bank card details issued via Mastercard, Visa or Mir.
Afterpay believes southern Europe has great potential, as the region has a large population of millennials who are adopting the instalment payment alternative. The BNPL player has also gained regulatory approval for use in Portugal and Germany.
In this full length video, Ralf Gladis from Computop discusses the challenges faced by merchants when looking at authentication, and the advantages of good authentication procedures far beyond payments.


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Heidi Shaffer and Dave Olson, Published December 30 2011
TradeTalk: Fargo businesses affected by mill fire
A fire destroyed the historic mill Tuesday, leaving Hoglund and many of his customers saddened while scrambling to find a new supplier.
“It’s really hard to deal with,” Hoglund said Friday. “There are lots of flour mills out there, but this is a particularly good one.”
Swany’s owner told the St. Cloud Times on Thursday that he doesn’t plan to rebuild.
Hoglund’s natural food store not only supplies flour and bread mixes for retail customers, but businesses, such as Nichole’s Fine Pastry in Fargo, are also going to feel the loss.
Hoglund sold out the last of the Swany mill white flour on Thursday and is working to secure another local supplier.
Golden Needle Tattoo moves to new location
Golden Needle Tattoo has moved from its former location at 1825 Main Ave., Moorhead, to the Seventh and Main Plaza in Moorhead.
Golden Needle Tattoo has been in business for 29 years and is owned by Anita Burbeck. The business can be reached by calling (218) 236-8560.
Valley Imports featured in Automotive News
Valley Imports, Fargo, has been recognized by Mercedes-Benz in a recent Automotive News publication for the renovation of its Mercedes-Benz showroom, which was completed in May.
Warner and Co. buys Schaefer Insurance
Warner and Co. Insurance, Fargo, has purchased Schaefer Insurance, Grand Forks.
Schaefer Insurance will merge with Grand Forks-based Thompson Insurance, a full-service insurance agency owned by Warner and Co. The resulting company will conduct business as Thompson-Schaefer Insurance Agency.
Mike Schaefer, who has owned Schaefer Insurance since 1973, is semi-retiring.
The Thompson-Schaefer Insurance Agency will be located at Thompson Insurance’s current location in Grand Forks and will employee seven people.
Warner and Co.’s other agencies include Kramer Agency, Bismarck, and Schiller Insurance, Detroit Lakes, Minn.
Readers can reach Forum business editor Heidi Shaffer at (701) 241-5511 and Forum business reporter Dave Olson at (701) 241-5555.


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Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by John Goscha, Founder and CEO of Native Voice Voice technology has been..
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Leading travel technology business, CodeGen, will be demonstrating its latest innovations at this year’s World Travel Market (WTM) and some of the industry’s best minds will be on-stand to demonstrate how global travel companies can increase conversions using the latest Artificial Intelligence based solutions.
On-stand, CodeGen representatives will be demonstrating the state of the art reservation platform – TravelBox, which is already in use by some of the giants in the travel industry. TravelBox is complemented by cutting edge innovative products such as TravelBox Surf, an online solution that combines personalisation, intelligent search capability and additional post-booking functionality. CodeGen has also opened the API of its ontology engine that powers Surf allowing travel companies to offer natural language search, and venture into the realm of bots.
Advances in CodeGen’s core reservation platform has enabled sub-second response times for search and book operations via its Open Travel Alliance specification based API. This lightning-fast search and book API is capable of handling more than 1,000 package searches per second, that’s over 84 million searches in 24 hours or to put it another way, enough capacity to target more than 50 million passengers a year.
Bharat Patel, president, sales, marketing and commercial, CodeGen, explains:
“CodeGen takes great pride in being at the forefront of global travel technology innovation and as a business we invest heavily and continually in research and development. We are excited that at this year’s World Travel Market our team will be on hand to discuss our Advanced Machine Intelligence Solutions and our Bot ready technology.”


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The Plus 8 sits alongside the other traditional roadsters, rather than the ‘modern’ Aero cars, in Morgan’s price list. But don’t be fooled. Yes, the hand-beaten aluminium bodywork mimics the traditional roadster’s (although it is somewhat bigger) and, to our eyes, it looks terrific.
But the new Plus 8 has the same BMW-sourced 367bhp V8 as the Aero coupé and Supersport, more than 1000 of which already ply the world’s highways. Naturally, it also gets the bonded and riveted aluminium chassis that has marked out the Aero 8 and all other Aero models since their inception in 2001.
The first Aeros were powered by a 4.4-litre BMW V8, which was some way advanced from the Rover unit that went into early Plus 8s. Since 2007, however, Aeros have been fitted with a 4.8-litre variant of the BMW engine, which the Plus 8 shares. It is mated to either a six-speed manual or six-ratio ZF automatic.
The Plus 8, at 4010mm long and 1751mm wide, may be the biggest traditionally styled Morgan to date, but the firm claims that it is the world’s lightest V8 production car to meet EU safety standards. Fully fuelled, our Plus 8 test car registered 1230kg on the weighbridge. That’s more than Morgan’s claim of 1100kg, but we weren’t particularly surprised – and certainly not disappointed – by the figure. Its 367bhp, we reckoned, would be more than enough.
Modern Morgans don’t come with a plethora of safety systems, but they get what you’d expect – and what Morgan needs for them to sell through its network of 10 dealers in the USA. ABS and airbags are standard and, while there’s no visible roll-over bar and you wouldn’t trust a toddler to sit on the windscreen lip without damaging it, the seats are reinforced.


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TechInPacific – MiBank, the Central Bank-licensed and regulated microfinance in Papua New Guinea, has been running the Fresh Produce Project in Namatanai District, Niu Ireland Province. The project is the pioneer project that already started in November. It aims at providing digital payments for farmers in the district, particularly female farmers. Empowering women through financial literacy training has always been one of the key focus areas of the institution.
On this project, MiBank acts as a super-agent through the Namatanai Advancement Limited (NAL). MiBank, through its representatives consists of four, including Jack Vaki, the MCO of Lihir; Mathew Boku, the MCO of Kokopo; Steven Ereman, the Agent Networking Supervisor; and Project Owner and Manager DFS. The project was under the initiative of NTI MP Hon. Walter David Schnaubelt.
Through the representatives and project, MiBank has opened 205 accounts at Kilak, Matalai LLG in Namatanai. The accounts opening was also followed by financial literacy training for supervisors who will be responsible for the Fresh Produce Project. The training took place in two days and in partnership with Newcrest Mine Ltd, NCS Ltd., WFA Inc., and Namatanai Advancement Ltd.
The first session of the training started with the Fresh Produce Post Harvesting Agricultural training conducted by the District’s Department of Primary Industry (DPI).
The MiBank representatives set up a super-agent at the Fresh Produce Buying Point in the district for two weeks. They also had opened more than 500 accounts in six different locations, including Panaras, Messi, Dampet villages (West Coast Central), Konos (East Coast Central), Namatanai, and Kilak (Matalai LLG).
Apart from MiBank Super Agent and Namatanai Advancement Limited (NAL), another digital payment was also launched in Namatanai, such as the WFA Buying Point. The launching of three different digital payments services was a partnership project as well as the implementation of the pioneer project, Stretim Ai Dua Pastaim.


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U.K. police arrested six people on Thursday for allegedly running a phishing scam that stole an estimated £1.6 million (US$2.6 million) from victims who had taken out student loans.
Executives from Microsoft and Google on Thursday gave a glimpse into the size of their privacy organizations, which are required for the companies to try to avoid running foul of complicated U.S. privacy regulations and prepare for changes coming to ...
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) may be moving forward too fast on a plan to sell hundreds of new generic top-level domains starting early next year, several U.S. senators said Thursday.
Four residents of Romania have been charged for their alleged participation in a multimillion-dollar scheme to remotely access point-of-sale systems at more than 150 Subway restaurants and other U.S. merchants and steal payment card data, the U.S. De...
Text-message spam is coming under close scrutiny from the U.K.'s data protection authority, which is trying to blunt an increasing wave of insurance industry and accident compensation-related spam.
Yahoo has won a lawsuit against spammers, a legal victory that also includes a default judgment of US$610 million.
Cross-site scripting flaws are the most prevalent vulnerabilities found in Web applications, posing a risk to data and intellectual property, according to a study of thousands of applications by vendor Veracode.
A proposal in the U.S. House of Representatives would set up a new semi-independent organization allowing the U.S. government and private companies to share information about cyberthreats, but some critics questioned whether the group would be too re...
Global spam fell to the lowest level in three years in a sign that spammers may be getting a better rate of return by hitting social-media websites instead, according to the latest figures on Tuesday from Symantec.
PhoneFactor, an authentication system that uses mobile phones as a second factor for improved security, is now available as an app for Apple's iPhone and iPad.
Name: Peter Campbell
Defense and aerospace systems vendor Raytheon has acquired cybersecurity vendor Pikewerks in an effort to add to Raytheon's capabilities to defend against sophisticated threats facing customers in the intelligence, defense and commercial sectors, the...
Organizations and regulators across Europe, including Germany, have started looking into the use of Carrier IQ's tracking software, to ensure that mobile phone vendors and operators are not violating users' privacy.
The outcry over Carrier IQ's mobile-phone tracking software continued Friday, with a U.S. congressman asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the company.
Consumer Watchdog has called for a U.S. government investigation of Carrier IQ, the maker of tracking software for mobile phones, and its users.
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This month's sale of Ford Motor Co.'s remaining Auto Collection stores marks the close of a sorry chapter in U.S. auto retailing.
What began in 1997 as an experiment in factory ownership of dealerships in Tulsa, Okla., turned into a major initiative in five U.S. markets. Amid dealer howls, Ford backed off two years later. It has taken three more years to clean up the debris. Most of the stores have been sold back to independent retailers.
The costs are incalculable, but the moral is clear: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Through the prism of 2002, it's easy to sneer at Ford's strategy back then. But at the time, Republic Industries (now AutoNation Inc.) was sweeping America, buying up some of the nation's finest dealerships. Elsewhere, savvy companies considered the status quo as something that had to be challenged. The experts said those who acted swiftly and decisively would win in the Internet economy. And auto companies that knew what it was all about finally were finding ways to treat customers right.
If dealers couldn't do that consistently, Ford would help them out by creating retail partnerships in those five markets - or so the thinking went.
As it turned out, the Auto Collection adventure was way too much, way too soon. Some companies thrive in this business by watching others put their toes in the water and then learning from their experience. With the Auto Collections, Ford tested the waters by diving in head first.